


A Few Variations: A Walking Dead Reimagining

by Quick5TheGuy



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (Comics), The Walking Dead (Telltale Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Retelling
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-01-25
Updated: 2021-03-02
Packaged: 2021-03-17 10:28:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 2
Words: 10,629
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28972851
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quick5TheGuy/pseuds/Quick5TheGuy
Summary: When civilization collapses and life as we know it is changed forever, no-one can predict what happens after. Sometimes, the smallest differences can radically alter the path we take, for better or for worse.This is the story of a man named Lee: a criminal, a caretaker, a survivor, a leader, a friend. On the day he was supposed to be locked away forever, fate intervenes. The dead have risen from their graves with nothing but hunger driving them and have the turned the world upside down on their quest to feed.Stumbling upon a young girl, orphaned by the dead, Lee takes her into his care. Keeping both himself and this girl safe will be a near-impossible task, but he can't afford to fail.In a world with no structure, no conscience, and no quarter, hope is all that remains.-----------------------------------------------------This is a re-telling of Telltale's The Walking Dead where the main characters will face differing obstacles and situations. Will feature canon divergence.
Relationships: Clementine & Lee Everett, Clementine/Lee Everett, Katjaa/Kenny (Walking Dead)
Comments: 8
Kudos: 10





	1. A New World, A New Start

One day during the summer of 2003, the world as we knew it changed forever. On that fateful day, Lee Everett thought his life was over. He had no idea that it was beginning anew.

A week or so in and out of courtrooms and police lockup had placed him in the back of a police car bound for Merriweather County Correctional Facility. His fate was sealed: 25 to life for the second-degree murder of an elected official. It was a terrible mistake, but hindsight was 20/20. He couldn’t do anything about it now, after all. His hands were cuffed and the car was driving along the 20. Escape was impossible, not that he’d considered it beyond passing thought. He had no desire to live life on the run.

The cop in the front seat adjusted the rear-view mirror. Lee could see himself if he leaned at the right angle. He’d always taken pride in his appearance, keeping his hair short and his beard well-trimmed. As a professor, it was important to make a good impact on his students. He supposed it didn’t matter much anymore.

“Well, I reckon you didn’t do it, then.” The cop said, both a southern accent and condescension heavy in his voice. Lee internally scoffed at the whole scene. It was rather stereotypical: a black man in the backseat of a police car being driven by a white cop. It was a situation he swore he’d never find himself in, at least not due to his own actions. That held up well.

“Does it really matter?” Lee said, staring into the rear-view mirror, defeat and annoyance in his voice.

“I’ve driven a bunch of folks down to this here prison,” The cop explained. “Lord knows how many…” he added under his breath. “’bout now’s when I usually get the ‘I didn’t do it.’”

“And what do you say?” Lee replied, experimentally, wanting to test the waters with this man.

“I say: ‘Yep, I know you didn’t.’” The cop said, not taking his eyes off the road.

The car was silent save for the noise of the engine and the chattering over the cop’s radio. Lee looked out the window, taking in the greenery of Atlanta’s surrounding forestry and clear blue of the sky. He had to take it in now. He probably wouldn’t be seeing it for a while. Another cop car sped down the road, heading toward Atlanta. Lee followed it with his eyes. There weren’t enough cops in the city?

“Followed up on yer case a little bit, you bein’ a Macon boy an’ all.” The cop broke the silence.

“You’re from Macon, then?” Lee went along with it, trying to keep in the cop’s good graces.

“Yup!” The cop perked up. “Left and moved t’Atlanta to be a city cop in the 70’s. Always wanted to work a murder case, like that whole senatorial business you got yerself mixed up in.” He paused. “With all due respect.” The cop looked back at Lee, pity in his eyes. “Real shame, too. Mah whole family used t’be regulars at yer parents’ drug store. It still there?”

“Sure is.” Lee’s mood had brightened before immediately turned dour once again at the mention of his parents. They were the first ones he called when he’d gotten arrested. They asked if he’d done it. He answered truthfully, and that was the end of it.

“Good.” The cop said, turning back to the road. “They’re good folks.”

“Yeah.” Lee looked out the window again. “They are.”

“Got a nephew up at UGA, you teach there long?” The cop asked.

“Going on my sixth year.” Lee answered, as if that mattered anymore.

“You meet yer wife in Athens?” The cop looked in the mirror, seeing a very dour-looking Lee. His expression softened slightly. “You wanna know how I see it?”

“I got much choice?” Lee tried not to snap.

“Nope.” The cop opened his mouth to talk, but seeing the venomous look in Lee’s eyes prompted him to quit while he was ahead, returning his attention once again to the road. “Regardless, it could be you just married the wrong woman.”

Lee silently agreed, fuming to himself as he recalled discovering her in bed with that man. After that, none of that fucker’s money, titles, or importance mattered. Pure, instinctual rage took hold and before anyone knew what was going on, there was one dead body, one shocked woman, and Lee covered in blood.

Lee was pulled from his thoughts by the loud whooshing of helicopter blades. Sure enough, a chopper was flying right overhead, zoning in on Atlanta. On the road, three more cop cars and ambulance sped past, sirens blaring. Lee was almost thankful he was driven out of Atlanta when he was. He didn’t want to know what warranted that mind of force.

“I’m drivin’ this man once, now he was the worst one! He just wouldn’t stop goin’ on about how he didn’t do it!” The cop pulled Lee from his thoughts with his story. His radio buzzed to life, but he shut it off in annoyance. “Then he starts kickin’ the seat like-like a fussy baby on an airplane! I tell him he’s gotta stop, that it’s government property and I’ll be forced to zap him otherwise.”

Lee turned his attention back to the cop, interested in where this story was going. “So, he stops and, having exhausted all his options, he starts cryin’ out for her mama! ‘Mama! It’s all a big mistake! It wasn’t me!’”

Lee scoffed. “So, did he do it?” he asked, almost sarcastically.

“Did he!?” The cop sounded incredulous at the question. “They caught the fucker red-handed, stabbin’ his wife, cuttin’ her up as the boys came through the door! He sits there in my car screamin’ bloody murder that it wasn’t him! I think he actually believed it himself.” The cop looked almost sad as he continued. “It goes to show…some people will up and go mad when they think their life is over.”

Lee looked down to his bound hands, contemplating the cop’s words. Would he go mad? No. He promised himself that. No matter what happened in prison, he would keep his head. He would go out as himself, no matter what.

Perhaps sensing Lee’s discomfort, the cop looked back and began speaking again. “I got another one for ya, and this one’s bit more hilarious and bit less depressing…”

Lee couldn’t focus on the cop’s story, however, as he looked through the windshield to see a person standing in the middle of the road!

“Watch out!” he called, but it was too late. Both Lee and the cop were thrown forward as the car collided with the person, cracking the windshield and smearing it with blood. The cop lost control of the steering wheel and the car veered off the road, tumbling into the brush and sending both its’ driver and passenger flying about the interior as it rolled down the incline with sickening crashes all the way down. Lee hit his head on the roof and everything went black.

-  
When Lee regained consciousness, the first thing he felt was a burning pain in his leg. He let out a cry of pain and clutched the source with his still-cuffed hands. He opened his eyes to find a nasty cut oozing blood on his right thigh. There was very noticeable red stain running up his blue jeans. It took him a moment to process the direction the blood was going. He was upside-down, as was the car. Memories of the car crash came flooding back. He looked around, doing his best to get himself upright given the cramped quarters of the back seat. Managing to get his bottom on the ground, Lee took in his surroundings, taking stock of his options.

To the right (left?) of the car, Lee could see the hill he’d tumbled down and the broken remains of the barrier separating the road from the bush through the cracked glass of the window. Out the left (right?) window, he could just make out the cop against the surrounding forest. The man was lying on the ground, unmoving. Lee swallowed the instinctual fear that came from seeing that, for he had other problems to deal with. If his leg wasn’t treated soon, it would become infected. His hands were still cuffed, and if the keys were anywhere, they’d be on the cop’s belt.

Lee began putting together a plan to escape the cop car. Opening the doors was out of the question, obviously. The front doors would be unlocked, but the cage separating the back seat from the front was secured tight, so that was a no-go. All that was left was the back windows. One of them was already cracked. That was his way out.

Using his bound hands to pull himself along the seats, Lee raised his good leg and thrust forward, causing the glass to crack just a little bit more. Pulling back, Lee kicked once again, pushing the window pane back a little. He took a moment to breathe, hoping against hope that the window would break soon. He wasn’t sure how much longer he could last in this tin can. It was beginning to feel smaller every second. Thankfully, his next kick was enough to shatter the window. Lee allowed himself a “Yes!” in victory as he wiggled himself into the right position to hoist himself out of the broken window.

Careful not to cut his hands on glass shards, Lee hoisted himself out of the car, nearly falling onto his head in the process. Pulling himself to his feet, he groaned at the pain in his leg. Looking down, Lee found his blood running again. Gritting his teeth, Lee shifted his weight to his good leg and leaned on the car as he rounded it to inspect the fallen cop. Outside the car, Lee could see an obvious trail of blood behind the cop. Lee shuddered, but knew that he had to get closer.

Ever so slowly, Lee shuffled his way to the cop’s prone figure. It looked as though he tried to crawl away from the wreck before succumbing to his injuries. Lee noticed the cop’s shotgun lying on the ground next to the derelict car. Why would he need that? Lee surveyed his surroundings, finding no other signs of life in the area. Uneasy, Lee leaned down as best he could with only one good leg to get a good look at the cop’s belt. As he thought, a ring of keys was attached to it. Lee grabbed it, fiddling with the keys until he found the one that unlocked his cuffs. He sighed with relief as his wrists were freed, now formulating a plan for what he would do next. First, he would find treatment for his leg, then he would report the car crash and dead cop. He might go back to jail, but at least his standing with the law wouldn’t get any worse.

“Gruh…” Lee almost jumped when he heard a small noise coming from the cop. Was he alive? Was that possible?

“Officer?” Lee asked, leaning down slightly, wondering if he could help the cop somehow. He needn’t have bothered. The cop launched himself at Lee, causing him to jump backwards in fright. He fell onto his backside and clawed at the ground in an attempt to back away. The cop was snarling like an animal and crawling towards Lee with murderous intent. “What the hell is wrong with you!?” Lee shouted, trying to get through to the clearly mad officer. This wasn’t the man who he’d had a nice conversation with earlier. He’d been replaced, that much was obvious. His skin had turned sickly gray and his eyes had become a milky white. He barely looked human anymore and just looking at him turned Lee’s blood to ice.

Lee’s back hit the car wreck. He’d run out of room and the cop was rapidly approaching. Not trusting his legs to get back on his feet in time, Lee saw only one option left. He reached for the shotgun and aimed it at the cop’s head. “Stay back!” Lee warned. “I…I’ll do it!” His words fell upon deaf ears as the rapid cop came closer and closer. Lee grit his teeth, hoping the cop wasn’t beyond help, but panic set in and he squeezed the trigger.

CLICK!

The chamber was empty. The cop got close enough to grab at Lee’s foot. In desperation, he kicked the cop in the face, drawing blood and stunning the madman. Taking advantage of the momentary reprieve, Lee scanned the ground around the shotgun for shells. His heart rate elevated when he found nothing. The cop focused on Lee once again, growling and clawing at Lee’s legs. Keeping himself just out of reach, Lee groped at the ground to back away along the car, only to find that his prayers had been answered. A shotgun shell was on the ground.

Lee jammed the shell into chamber, almost crushing the plastic against the metal shotgun before finding the right slot. He took aim and, with mere milliseconds to spare, unloaded a buckshot directly into the cop’s face with a deafening “BANG!” With his ears ringing and his hands sore, Lee stared at the pulpy red remains of his aggressor in shock. Instinctively, he threw the shotgun aside and tried to back into the car even farther. He’d killed someone again, a cop no less. He wanted to scream but no sound came out. All he could do was shudder and worry himself sick about what would happen next.

As turns out, it would be even worse than anything he’d imagined. He heard a rustling in the brush. Someone or something was nearby, and getting closer. The gun blast would have scared off any animals, so it must have been a person. Lee figured that would be the logical answer, but what he saw emerge from the darkness of the trees was anything but logical. A woman, or something that used to be a woman, was walking towards Lee at a slow, methodical pace. Her skin was grey and her eyes were white, much like the cop, but there was so much more wrong with her. Huge patches of skin had been torn from her chest and neck, and her jaw was missing completely. Despite this, she walked with no problem whatsoever, moaning all the while. She smelled just as bad as she looked, as the scent of rot and decay followed her wherever she went. She was headed for Lee, and he didn’t want to know what she had planned.

As quick as he could given his wounded leg, Lee pulled himself to his feet and began limping away from the woman. He saw a fence uphill and decided that was his target destination. The moaning and groaning grew louder. Lee chanced looking around and immediately regretted it. More people, looking and smelling just as bad as the woman from before. They were chasing him, so Lee redoubled his efforts, fighting the pain in his bad leg as he hobbled to safety.

Upon finally reaching the fence, Lee hauled himself over it with great effort, falling a few feet into someone’s backyard. He could still hear the growls of the rotten creatures on the other side. The growling was quickly followed by banging as they attempted to break down the wooden barrier separating them from their prey. They didn’t seem very strong, but if enough of them gathered they could possibly knock the fence over…

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Somewhere off in the distance, shots were fired. Whether this was a sign of more walking corpses attacking or not, the noise seemed to draw attention away from Lee. He didn’t move a muscle until he was sure the creatures had left. Thanking his lucky stars for escaping without a scratch (aside from his leg,) Lee stood up, finally taking the time to examine his surroundings.

He had landed in what he imagined was a pretty typical suburban backyard; half was concrete with an in-ground pool and the other was grass with a sturdy-looking tree standing proudly in the centre, adorned with a tire swing and a treehouse decorated with paintings of flowers and butterflies. Beneath the tree sat a plastic tea set; a sure sign that a young girl lived here.

“Hello?” Lee called up to the treehouse. “Anybody up there?” he received no response, so he decided to take his chances in approaching the house. It was a nice house, built from wood and brick with a wide balcony in the back. Lee made it to the sliding glass door and peered within. He saw a living room, a dining table, and a staircase. A light was blinking on a table in the main hall. He saw no signs of human life.

He pounded on the glass. “Hello? Anybody home?” he yelled, once again getting no response. He thought of waiting for someone to answer, but figured he had nothing more to lose. It wasn’t as if his standing with the law could get any worse. He pulled at the door experimentally, finding it unlocked. He opened it and walked inside. “I’m coming in! Don’t shoot, ok?” he said, just in case. “I’m not an intruder...” he looked outside. “…or one of them.”

He moved to investigate the blinking light, finding a telephone with an answering machine. Seeing nothing better to do, Lee activated the machine. “You have 3 new messages.” The automated voice said.

“Hey, Sandra! This is Diana. Thank you so much for taking care of Clementine for us! I’m calling to let you know that we’ll be staying in Savannah for a little while longer. Ed had an altercation with some crazy guy in an alley. He might have gotten an infection or something. He’s in the E.R. but it shouldn’t be more than a few days. Tell Clementine we love her!” A woman cheerfully spoke over the phone. Lee looked to the left of the phone, finding a framed photograph of a family. A mother, a father, and a daughter. The photo was knocked over and something was splattered over the glass. Lee looked closely. Was it blood?

“You have 2 new messages.” The answering machine said.

“Oh my God, Sandra!” The same woman said, sounding considerably more distressed. “It’s chaos out here! The city is on lockdown and Ed’s condition is getting worse! Listen, when you get this, leave the city and take Clementine with you. I need to get back to the hospital. Please let me know you’re safe!” Lee frowned, wondering just how bad the situation is in the cities. It seemed so normal the last time he was in Atlanta not too long ago. Was it earlier that day or the day before? He wasn’t sure how long he was unconscious in the wreck, but it couldn’t have been longer than a day. Did things get out of control that fast?

“You have 1 new message.” The answering machine said.

“Clementine, baby…” the woman sounded like she was in tears while recording. “…if you can hear this, call the police! That’s 9-1-1! We love you! We love you…” the woman trailed off and the message ended.

“Jesus…” Lee said to no-one in particular. Whoever Sandra and Clementine were, he could only hope they made it out ok. Still, if they left any supplies in the house, he could make use of them, reasoning that they would want to help him if they knew he was hurting. Feeling parched, he hobbled over to the kitchen to see if he could find something to drink.

He unexpectedly slipped and fell onto his side with a thud and a brief scream of surprise. It didn’t hurt as much as it did catch him off-guard, but it was still unpleasant. Making it more unpleasant was the realization of what he had slipped in. The kitchen floor was covered with what was unmistakably blood. Momentarily shaken by the realization, Lee used the nearby countertop to hoist himself up. His clothes were covered in red, more so than they already were. He looked like he’d just gotten back from a murder scene. That thought did not help his mood.

Nevertheless, he continued into the kitchen using the countertop as support to as not to repeat his spill. The kitchen was small, but cozy. Childish drawings of the family from the photo clung to the fridge, along with those of cats, puppies, and butterflies. Lee spotted a plastic cup visibly filled with water next to the sink. Thinking only of quenching his thirst, Lee grabbed it and drank its’ contents. Suddenly feeling much better (and glad that the water didn’t taste funny,) Lee looked out the window just above the sink. He looked at the treehouse he passed coming in. Something was different about it, but he couldn’t quite place it. Was someone up there all along?

“Daddy?” a high-pitched voice came from one of the cutlery drawers. Lee swiftly opened it to find a walkie-talkie hidden away.

Curious at the prospect of finding someone else, he raised the talkie to his lips and spoke: “Hello?” he asked.

“You’re not my daddy…” The voice responded, sounding dejected.

“No, I’m not.” Lee confirmed. “Who is this?”

“I’m Clementine.” The voice said. Lee frowned, realizing that she hadn’t been taken out of town if she could talk to him in the house. “Who are you?”

“I’m Lee.” He introduced himself. “Where are you? Are you safe?”

“I’m in my treehouse.” Lee realized what was different: the door was ever-so-slightly ajar. A little girl poked her head out through. “I can see you. Can you see me? I’m waving at you right now.” True to her word, Clementine waved a tiny hand at Lee and he waved back, offering a smile.

“I hid up here when they came. I don’t think they can climb, so they can’t get me.” Clementine explained.

“That’s smart.” Lee complimented, impressed with this child’s resourcefulness.

THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!

Lee whipped around, frightened by the noise. Someone else was in the house.

“What’s wrong?” Clementine asked, sounding concerned.

“Uh, is there anybody here with you?” Lee asked, creeping toward the direction of the noise. He could vaguely hear the shuffling of footsteps and the sound of someone groaning.

“There was Sandra, my babysitter.” Clementine said. “But she…oh no…” she went silent.

“She what?” Lee stopped to say into the talkie. “Clementine? What happened!?”

By the time Lee had finished asking, the answer became clear. Rounding the corner to the kitchen was what he could only assume had been a relatively pretty young woman at some point. Now it was devoid of humanity, pale, and shambling towards him with its’ twig-thin arms outstretched and mouth wide open. Sandra wasn’t home, but her body still was.

Acting on instinct, Lee grappled with Sandra, grabbing her wrists and leaning away from her rotting mouth. He couldn’t feel any breath coming from it, but he could smell the decay. Wrinkling his nose and gritting his teeth, Lee pushed Sandra away, backing into the kitchen counter in an attempt to get away. Sandra stood in the doorway. He was cornered unless he could get past her. Vaulting over the island into the living room wouldn’t work because of his leg. He had to fight to escape.

Lee yanked open the closest drawer in hopes of finding a weapon. A large knife greeted him and he grabbed it, pointing it at the slowly-advancing Sandra. “Stay back!” he shouted in vain, “I’m warning you!” Sandra launched herself at Lee, and he stabbed at her. The knife lodged itself in her shoulder but it had no effect. Lee held her at arm’s length, her jaws snapping inches away from his nose. He grabbed her shoulders and threw her to the back of the kitchen, hobbling away as best he could.

Suddenly, the floor was pulled out from under him as he slipped in the blood puddle, banging his head on the island. The world became a blur as he hit the floor once again. Something was ringing inside his skull. He didn’t feel well, but he knew he had to move. A brown-and-grey blur was getting bigger and bigger. He shook his head to clear his vision, twisting on the ground so his feet pointed at Sandra. He kicked her away and crawled away as quickly as he could.

He heard the sliding door open. There stood a little girl, and clutched in her tiny hands was a hammer. Sandra’s growls brought Lee’s attention back to her. Keeping his eyes on her and kicking her periodically, Lee backed into the door, still on his back. The girl thrust her arms out, presenting the hammer right next to Lee’s face, and he took it. Sandra managed to get past Lee’s boots and crawled onto his stomach, ready to raised her head and chomp, but she didn’t get that far.

Running on pure adrenaline, Lee summoned up all the strength he had and bashed Sandra in the temple, knocking her off him and creating a great bloody wound. Free of her weight, Lee stood over Sandra and hit her again. She was still twitching. Another hit split her forehead open. She didn’t move again, but Lee gave her one more bash for good measure, getting his weapon stuck in her brain.

As swiftly as the energy came to him, it left. Lee suddenly felt like he’d been running for days. His arms hurt, his leg hurt, everything hurt. “Man…” was all he could say. He looked at the little girl. She must have been Clementine. She was staring at the mangled face of her former babysitter, arms out like she was expecting her to get back up again. She looked up at Lee. Her eyes were bright, almost amber.

“Did you kill it?” she asked. She looked like she wanted to poke it with her shoe.

“Yeah, I think so.” Lee confirmed. He yanked his weapon out of Sandra’s collapsed skull.

“Good.” Clementine clasped her hands together in front of her. She looked like she was trying to look smaller. “I think she was a…m-monster.”

“I think so, too.” Lee agreed, placing the hammer in his pocket. He leaned down on his good leg to get a better look at the girl. She was definitely the girl from the photograph: having the same brown skin and frizzy hair, atop which she wore a blue-and-white baseball cap with a cursive “D” on the front. She had trouble meeting Lee’s eyes, instead staring at the ground and rubbing her arm.

“You’ve been all by yourself through this?” Lee asked, deeply concerned.

“Yes.” Clementine stuttered. “I want my parents to come home now…”

Lee looked back at the phone. “I…think that might be a while.” He knew that wasn’t true, but he wasn’t ready to crush her spirit just yet.

“Oh…” Clementine squeaked.

“Look, I don’t know what happened,” Lee shuffled forward, getting closer to Clementine. “but I’ll look after you until then.” He offered her a reassuring smile.

Clementine continued to stare everywhere but Lee’s eyes, rubbing her arm and squinting her eyes, as if she were deep in thought. Lee couldn’t force her to come with him, but if she stayed alone for much longer, she wouldn’t make it. That he knew for sure.

Finally, her eyes met his. “Ok.” She said uncertainly. It was as good an answer as any, as far as Lee was concerned. “What should we do now?”

“We need to find help before it gets dark.” Lee decided, hoisting himself back to his feet.

“Ok. I like that.” Clementine nodded. “It’s not safe at night.”

Lee returned her nod, satisfied, and stepped out the back door. He felt something soft on his hand. Looking down, he found Clementine prodding at it with her own. He grasped her palm, and she grasped back, still looking unsure. He offered her a reassuring smile, and she offered a small one in return. Together, hand-in-hand, they set out.

“Over here.” Clementine pulled Lee along the back deck. “There’s a gate. We can get to the street through there.”

“Alright.” Lee kept pace with Clementine as best he could, hobbling down the short staircase to the concrete pathway leading to the suburban streets beyond. Even from the backyard, Lee could see a few cars abandoned in the middle of the road. Some had clear dents pointing to a collision, while others were parked on the side of the road, looking perfectly normal if not for a few smashed windows.

“Goddammit!” Lee heard someone shout. As it turns out, the street wasn’t completely dead. Lee and Clementine stopped in their tracks. Lee crouched down, approaching the gate slowly so he could get a better look at whoever was out there.

Upon reaching the gate, Lee could hear the thrum of an active engine. The source was a pickup truck in the middle of the street. In front of it, a man and a woman were trying to push a wrecked car off the street. The front bumper was visibly caved in. It lied on the road sideways, blocking the truck’s path.

The couple took a break from pushing, looking exhausted, allowing Lee to get a better look at the two. They looked like spouses, if Lee had to guess. The man was dressed in a beat-up shirt and cargo pants along with a trucker hat that went well with his horseshoe moustache. The woman was shorter, with blonde hair that might have been well-groomed not long before and dressed in a flowery shirt.

“Clem, do you know these people?” Lee asked.

“No.” Clementine shook her head.

“Think they’re friendly?” Judging from their body language, they seemed agitated. The man was rubbing the back of his head furiously while the woman just looked distraught, leaning against the wrecked car and looking at the ground.

“I don’t know.” Clementine was uncertain. “Is there someone in the truck?”

Lee looked in the back window of the vehicle, and Clementine’s suspicions were confirmed. In the back seat was the freckled face of a little boy, gazing nervously, but curiously.

“Yeah, there is.” Lee told Clementine. “A boy, looks like.”

“Well, if they have kids, they can’t be all bad, right?” Clementine reasoned. That depended on whether or not the boy was well-cared-for, but he would have time to figure it out later. He decided to approach the couple openly and see how things went.

“I guess so.” he said, agreeing with Clementine. “Let’s go say ‘hello.’ See what happens.” With that, Lee rose and opened the metal gate, making a loud creaking noise, drawing the attention of the couple. The man’s eyes widened and he quickly drew a pistol, pointing it at Lee.

Not off to a good start. “Whoa, whoa! Easy!” Lee raised his hands in surrender while Clementine scampered behind his legs. “We’re not here to cause any trouble!”

“Oh, thank God.” The man lowered the gun and placed his hands on his knees. “I thought you and the little one were comin’ to eat us.”

A better introduction. “Sorry we scared you.” Lee lowered his hand.

“Nah, that’s my fault.” The man put the gun away, ignoring the dirty gaze his wife was giving him. “I shouldn’t ‘a jumped the gun like that.”

“Well, nobody got shot so, all’s well.” Lee nodded and Clementine peeked out at the couple, meeting the woman’s eyes. She smiled at Clem, but got no response.

“Good. Good.” The man said. “Name’s Kenny. That’s Katjaa, right there.” He pointed to his wife, who gave Lee a polite nod. “What’s your name?”

“It’s Lee. This is Clementine.” Lee gestured to the little girl behind him.

“That is a lovely name!” Katjaa said to Clementine. She had a trace of an accent on her voice. Lee couldn’t quite place it.

Clementine nodded. “Thanks.” She said meekly, coming out from behind Lee and standing next to him, rubbing her arm.

Katjaa turned back to Lee, looking down at his leg. “You’re hurt!” she said.

Lee looked down. The wound in his leg wasn’t looking good. It wasn’t bleeding all that much, but pus was visibly leaking out of it. “Yeah. I busted it up pretty bad.” he said. “It’s not horrible, though. I can still walk.”

“Not for long, that thing goes untreated.” Kenny said. “We got a first-aid kit in the truck. Maybe we can help path you up. An apology fer almost shooting you earlier.”

“That’d be great, actually.” Lee smiled. “Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Kenny smiled, turning to the truck. “Just let me-oh shit!”

Looking down the street, it seemed that the sound of the truck had attracted the attention of the dead. Several rotting creatures were crawling out from their holes and lumbering towards the vehicle, moaning and flailing their arms about.

Kenny and Katjaa rushed back to the dented car. “We’ll patch you up later, but right now we need to get this hunk’a’junk outta the way!” Kenny shouted. “Help us out, here!”

Lee moved between the two and placed his hands on the hood of the car, ready to help as best he could with his mangled leg.

“Ok. On three.” Kenny said. “One…two…three!” He, Katjaa, and Lee pushed and the car moved off the road one, but only just a little. They could hear the growls of the dead getting louder.

“Alright, good!” Kenny yelled. “Again! One, two, three!” The car moved again, the back tires rolling onto the sidewalk.

“They’re getting closer!” Clementine warned, running over to the car and bracing herself to push next to Katjaa.

“One more should do it!” Kenny yelled, sounding hopeful. “One, two, THREE!” With one final push, the car spilled into somebody’s driveway, clearing enough of a path for Kenny’s truck to get around.

“Alright! Everybody in! GO!” Kenny barked. Katjaa rushed into the passenger seat and Kenny opened the back door for Lee and Clementine.

“Dad, what’s-“ The boy Lee spotted earlier was sitting on the edge of the seat.

“No time! Scootch over, Duck! NOW!” Kenny ordered. The boy obeyed, quickly shifting himself to the other side of the back seat. Lee lifted Clementine into the vehicle before climbing in himself. Once he was sure everyone was secure, Kenny slammed the back door and jumped into the driver’s seat. Within seconds, the truck was on the move, clipping the wrecked car as it rounded it and set off away from the approaching crowd of corpses.

A few minutes of driving later, when the undead were well out of sight, Kenny spoke up. “Hey.” Kenny sounded calm once again, looking at Lee in the rear-view mirror, reminding the latter uncomfortably of his car ride from earlier. “Thanks for your help back there. I’m not sure we would have been able to move that thing if you hadn’t showed up.”

Lee smiled. “No problem.” He said. “Thanks for giving us a ride.”

“Don’t mention it.” Kenny nodded. “Actually, now that you do mention it, where should I drop you off? Where you headed?”

Lee thought for a moment, looking down at Clementine, who was staring intently at her feet. “Towards Macon, I suppose.” He didn’t know where else to go. It wasn’t too far, and if he could find his family, then so much the better. He could find somewhere more secure later.

“Perfect! That’s right on the way!” Kenny said, sounding pleased. “We’re headed back to Fort Lauderdale. We’ll get you there, no problem!”

“I appreciate it.” Lee thanked him, looking back at Clementine. She was looking at him.

“That’s not too far, right?” Clementine asked.

“No. It’s not too far.” Lee confirmed. “I used to travel there from Atlanta all the time.”

“That’s good.” Clementine nodded. “I don’t want to be far away when my parents come home.” Lee frowned.

“Her parents?” Katjaa spoke up, twisting around to look at Lee. “You’re not her father?” she asked.

“No, I found her alone right before we met you folks.” Lee explained. “She was with a babysitter but uh…she didn’t make it.”

“I can’t imagine what you must be going through, Clementine.” Katjaa looked at Clementine with sympathy in her eyes. Clem simply nodded, turning her gaze back to her feet.

“Uh, Mom?” A voice next to Clementine spoke up.

“Oh! I’m so sorry!” Katjaa sounded embarrassed. “Lee, Clementine, this is our son, Ken Jr. You can call him ‘Duck,’ though.” She looked at her son. “Duck, this is Lee and Clementine. They helped your father and I get on the road.”

Lee finally got a good look at the boy. He could see the resemblance to Kenny in the dark hair and facial features, though the main difference was that Duck was covered in freckles. It seemed like the introduction was all it took to endear the boy, and he smiled and began talking.

“Hi!” Duck piped up.

“Hey there.” Lee greeted, a little uncomfortable with the drastic change in mood the boy just had.

“Are you dad’s friend?” Duck asked.

Lee wasn’t sure how to answer. “I…guess so. We haven-“

Duck didn’t give Lee a chance to answer. “My dad’s the greatest! He’s got a boat and a big truck and he can fix anything! One time, my bike got run over by a car but then my dad-“ Duck rambled.

“Settle down, son.” Kenny scolded playfully. “Don’t wanna wear the poor folks out. They’ve had a looong day.”

“Oh. Sorry.” Duck sounded remorseful.

Lee chuckled. “It’s alright.” He looked down at Clementine. Her eyes were drooping. She looked like she was going to collapse into a heap on the car floor. Gently, Lee nudged her backward so she could rest easy on the back of the seat. Her eyes fluttered open and he looked at Lee again. “You ok, Clem?” he asked.

Clementine blinked a few times. “Yeah. I guess so.” She said. “Just tired.”

Lee couldn’t deny that he wasn’t feeling too energetic himself. The sun was beginning to set, casting much of the world in shadow. Kenny’s headlights flicked on. “Me too, Clem. Me too.” He said.

“Lee?” Clem asked after a brief pause.

“Yeah?” Lee looked down at her again.

“How far is Savannah?” she looked so innocent looking up at him like that.

“Pretty far.” Was all he said. It was true, from a certain point of view. His chest felt tight as he spoke to her. He really wished he could speak his mind.

“Oh.” Clementine sounded disappointed.

“What’s in Savannah?” Kenny asked, looking in the mirror again.

“That’s where my parents went.” Clem answered.

“I see.” Kenny said. Lee gave him a look in the mirror, clearly indicating there was more to explain. “That’s a pretty long drive.”

“Really?” Clem looked almost desperate for a reassuring answer.

“Yeah, but I wouldn’t worry too much.” Kenny said. “Maybe it’s not too crazy out there. Over the radio, they were tellin’ people to get to the cities. If they’re there, I’m sure they’re safe.”

Clementine looked at the floor once again. “I hope so.” She said. She let out a yawn, curling up on the seat as best she could.

Lee looked out the window, seeing the suburbs disappear as they left town along with the occasional walking corpse aimlessly staggering about. He spotted a girl out in the distance, her silhouette framed against the setting sun. She was dead, as he determined by the visible hole in her chest. She just stood there, head turning from side-to-side. She looked dazed and confused, like she’d just come back from the grave and had no idea what was going on. Lee felt a sadness wash over him, watching her amble around like an impotent child. He wondered who she was while she was alive. Maybe she had potential. Maybe she was on the road to a long, successful life that was snatched away from her by the walking dead.

But there was no time to wonder about the past. The future was uncertain, but he knew he had to survive. He looked down at Clementine, sleeping restlessly on the seat beside him. Even in this state, she looked scared. She looked delicate. He didn’t know how she’d fare in the world as it was now, but he promised himself he’d be there, no matter what.

Lee closed his eyes. Silently, he wished to wake up in a better place.


	2. Pit Stops and Close Calls

“Why are we stopping?” Lee asked. Kenny’s truck had come to a halt. 

“I’m gonna see if I can get some more gas for this thing.” Kenny pointed to his right, drawing Lee’s attention to the gas station they’d parked at. Lee squinted. The station didn’t look very busy. In fact, it looked all but abandoned. The lights were still on, but nobody was home. A few vehicles laid abandoned in the parking lot, and not a soul was to be seen inside. “Kat, why don’t you patch Lee up while I scope the place out?” he suggested, moving behind the truck.

“Alright.” Katjaa stepped outside. “Lee, let me take a look at that leg.”

“That’s be great.” Lee opened the door and let his legs dangle out. Katjaa circled around to his side, a first-aid kit in hand while Kenny made his way to the back.

“Daaad!” Duck called. “Can I get out now?”

“Not now, Duck.” Kenny called back, pulling a gas can out of the back storage.

“But I’ve been sitting for hours!” Duck protested. “My legs hurt.”

Kenny sighed, looking to Katjaa for input. “He has a point.” She spoke. “We’ll just have to be careful.”

“Alright.” Kenny called. “But stay where your mother can see ya! Got it?”

“Ok!” Duck eagerly hopped out of the truck, stretching his legs as he circled around to his mother.

“Don’t go far, Duck!” Katjaa warned. “It could be dangerous!”

“I know!” Duck reaffirmed, moving to investigate an abandoned semi truck.

“Don’t get too close! You don’t know what could be inside that!” Katjaa shouted, finally turning back to Lee. She sighed.

“You sure it’s a good idea? Letting him walk around this place?” Lee asked, watching Duck look under the semi’s tires, searching for something only he could see.

“No.” Katjaa admitted. “But he would have gone crazy if we kept him cooped up for too much longer.” She shook her head. “He’s got too much energy for his own good.” She smiled despite herself, shaking her head. “Now, let’s have a look at that leg.” She took hold of Lee’s wounded leg, lifting it get a better look. “Ooh.” She didn’t sound optimistic. “It’s pretty swollen. How bad does it hurt?”

Lee grimaced. “Pretty bad.” He said, “Funny, it didn’t seem all that bad until now.” He shrugged. “I feel like I was runnin’ on pure adrenaline.”

“I could only imagine.” Katjaa popped open her first-aid kit and pulled out a bottle. Lee recognized it: hydrogen peroxide, the most common medicine for cleaning open wounds. He also realized how badly it was going to sting when she used it. Katjaa pulled out a rag and poured some of the liquid on. “I’ll warn you now: this is going to sting.”

“Don’t worry. I’m ready.” Lee braced himself. Katjaa placed on the rag on his wound. He wasn’t ready. “Fuck!” she shouted, gritting his teeth as his leg proverbially burst into flames. “Shit! That hurts!”

“I told you.” Katjaa said with a hint of amusement as she took the rag off and reached into the kit for some bandages.

“Fuck me…” Lee mumbled to himself.

“Swear.” A voice chimed in from inside the truck. Lee turned around. Clementine was rubbing her eyes and observing him.

“Wha?” he asked.

“You said a bad word.” Clementine clarified. “My parents say you shouldn’t say stuff like that.”

“Oh.” Lee understood quickly. “I’m sorry. I-uh-won’t do that again.” He wasn’t exactly used to policing his language, but he could manage for the time being. “Did I wake you up?”

“No.” Clementine slinked out of the truck and circled around to Lee’s side. “Duck was yelling.” She let out a yawn. “He’s so loud.”

Katjaa allowed herself a giggle. “You get used to it after a while.” She spoke. Clementine just frowned. “So, Lee…” Katjaa began to bandage his leg, wrapping the bandages with practiced ease. “How did you hurt yourself?”

“Car accident.” He explained, not really thinking. “We were on our way out of Atlanta when we hit one of those things. Rolled into a ditch.”

“Who were you with?” Katjaa asked.

“Hmm?” Lee raised an eyebrow.

“You said ‘we’ hit one.” Katjaa repeated back to Lee. “Who else was in the car with you?”

Crap. Lee didn’t want to tell anybody (Clementine especially) that he was on his way to prison. That certainly wouldn’t help his reputation with these strangers. He was in the thick of it now, though. He couldn’t just abandon his story.

“Lee?” Katjaa brought his attention back to her.

“Sorry.” Lee said. “It was a…colleague of mine.” He lied. “He was giving me a ride out of the city. He didn’t make it.”

“Hmm…I’m sorry to hear that.” Katjaa went back to bandaging, some definite suspicion in her voice. “Where did you two work?”

“UGA.” Lee had a bit more enthusiasm in his voice. “I was a professor. History. He was…English Literature.”

“A professor? Like a scientist?” Clementine asked.

Lee chuckled. “Sort of, except I was an expert in a different field.” He grinned. “It’s kind of like being a teacher, except for adults.”

“Oh, ok! I think I understand.” Clementine smiled and nodded. “I like my teachers.”

“That’s good.” Lee said. “What…uh…what grade are you in?”

“First grade.” Clementine said.

“And…uh…how’s that?” Lee asked, trying to make conversation with this 8-year-old.

“It’s easy.” Clementine smiled.

“Is it, now?” Lee raised his eyebrows. “You must be a smart kid.”

“My teachers say so.” Clementine nodded.

“Goddammit!” Kenny drew the group’s attention, banging his fist in frustration on one of the gas pumps.

“Kenny? What’s wrong?” Katjaa called.

“Pumps aren’t workin’!” Kenny yelled. “I’m gonna see if anyone’s inside. Where’s that flashlight, Kat?” he began walking back toward the truck.

“In the glove box, Ken.” Katjaa said. “Be careful.”

“You know I will be, darlin’.” Kenny reassured his wife and he reached into the passenger side and pulled out a yellow utility flashlight, flicking it on and off to test it. “And you,” he turned to Lee. “How you holdin’ up?”

“Better now, thanks.” Lee nodded. “I appreciate the help.”

“Hey, now. Don’t mention it.” Kenny smiled. He looked over to the door of the gas station. The lights were out. Through the doors were nothing but blackness. “Be back in a minute.” With that, he walked back to the building, casting beams of light in its’ general direction.

Katjaa turned back to Lee, putting the finishing touches on the task at hand. “Listen,” she said. “I wanted to apologize for what happened back in town…when Kenny pulled a gun on you.”

“Nothing to apologize about.” Lee said. “With those things around, you can’t be too careful.”

Katjaa sighed. “Maybe. But that shouldn’t be his first reaction. To anything.” She took a pair of scissors from the kit and snipped the bandages clean, putting the remainder back into the box. “That should stop the swelling. If it’s not better by morning, you’re probably dealing with an infection.”

“What do we do then?” Lee asked, nervous.

“Re-clean and re-dress it, I suppose.” Katjaa placed the med kit back in the truck. “We’re running low on antibiotics. I’m sorry.”

Lee scratched his chin. He knew one way they could restock… “There’s a drug store up in Macon.” He said, “I…uh…knew the folks who ran the place. You should be able to restock there.” He suggested.

“Good thing we’ve got a local travelling with us, huh?” Katjaa allowed a small smile. “Thanks, Lee.”

“No problem.” Lee smiled back. “They’re good people. I’m sure they won’t mind sparing a little.” Lee looked back at the gas station. Kenny was on his way back, looking annoyed. “Find anything?” Lee asked.

“Nah.” Kenny shook his head. “Too dark to see, and I ain’t goin’ in there alone.”

“Maybe I could help.” Lee offered, pushing himself off the back seat and standing once again. “Watch your back.”

“You sure?” Kenny raised an eyebrow, looking Lee up and down, lingering on his bad leg.

“Yeah, I’m sure.” Lee nodded. “Long as we don’t run into any trouble.”

“Yeah, that’s the part that worries me.” Kenny crossed his arms, looking back at the building once again.

Lee furrowed his brow. “You still got your gun?” he asked.

“Yeah, why?” Kenny asked.

“Just making sure we’re armed. Just in case.” Lee pulled his hammer from his belt. Sandra’s dried blood still caked its’ head. He noticed Clementine looking at it, a mix of fear and remorse across her features.

Kenny looked at the hammer as well, still skeptical. “If you think that’ll be enough, then I guess we’re goin’ in.” he said.

“I’m not sure this is the best idea.” Katjaa spoke up. “Too much stress could bust your leg open again.”

“It’s not like I got many options to avoid stress right now.” Lee reasoned. “We’ll scope the place out, grab what we need, and get out. Quick and easy.”

“If you say so.” Katjaa sighed. “I’ll keep and eye on Duck and Clementine.”

“Thanks.” Lee looked down at Clementine. “I’ll be right back. You gonna be ok?”

Clementine lightly nodded. “Ok.” She said, moving to sit in the back seat.

Lee turned to Kenny, who looked back at the darkened station. “Alright. Let’s get this over with.” With that, he and Lee made their way to the door. Looking through the glass doorway, Lee could see very little, as he expected. The vague outlines of store shelves, magazine racks, and the front counter could be seen, but that wasn’t enough to go on.

Kenny opened the right-side door carefully, activating his flashlight, revealing a few more details about the interior. The shelves were mostly empty, with only a few bags of snack food remaining. Some other product was strewn across the floor, including empty chip bags, newspapers, and cigarette packs. The register was open, and Lee quickly surmised that it was empty.

“Think anyone’s here?” Kenny asked, waving the flashlight around to cover as much area as possible.

“If there were, they left a long time ago.” Lee stepped inside, his hammer at the ready. Kenny followed, holding the flashlight level. “Looks like the place has been looted.” Lee looked over the shelves, examining a single bag of chips left over. If nothing else, it could serve as a snack for later.

“There’s gotta be somethin’ left…” Kenny cast his light on the refrigerators in the back. Judging from the lack of pungent odour, what few items there were hadn’t had enough time to spoil yet. “Let me know if you see any gas.”

“That’d probably be the first thing to go…” Lee figured.

“Well, there’s no harm in lookin’!” Kenny asserted. “Maybe there’s a back room or somethin’ where they keep extra stock. Keep a look out.”

“Alright, alright.” Lee agreed, backing up. “Sorry.”

Kenny sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. “No, I’m sorry.” He said, “I just…I’ve been on edge. Ever since those things showed up it’s been one disaster after another for us. Meetin’ you and that girl was the first stroke of luck we’ve had in a while.”

“I could say the same about running into you.” Lee crossed his arms, “I’m not sure how far we’d have gotten without you.”

“Yeah, about that…” Kenny scratched the back of his head, “I figured now would be a good time to ask you: what is your plan, exactly? With the girl?”

Lee raised an eyebrow. “I was planning on looking out for her as long as I can.” He looked out the front doors. Clementine and Katjaa seemed to be chatting.

“She mentioned Savannah back in the truck.” Kenny recalled. “That her parents were there. You didn’t seem too keen on that. Why?”

“I’m pretty sure they’re…dead.” Lee admitted.

“’Pretty sure?’” Kenny shook his head. “’Pretty sure’ how?”

“They left messages.” Lee explained. “They…didn’t sound good.”

Kenny followed Lee’s gaze to Katjaa and Clementine. “You plannin’ on takin’ here there?” he asked.

Lee paused. He knew the answer was ‘no,’ but didn’t want to be dismissive. “I don’t know.” Was all he could say.

“Hmm.” Kenny grunted. “Well, if you’re takin’ care of her, I hope you know what you’re doin’.” He said, moving to examine the back shelves.

“Me too.” Lee agreed, following Kenny to help.

“I sure as hell didn’t when Duck was born.” Kenny chuckled, trying to lighten the mood a little. “It’s a miracle he turned out as well as he did.”

“Yeah, I meant to ask…” Lee began, finding a bottle of energy drink still sealed.

“Why do we call him ‘Duck?’” Kenny asked for him, smiling. “Nothing really phases him, ‘like water off a duck’s back,’ y’know?”

“I figured it was because of all the quacking.” Lee joked.

“That too.” Kenny admitted, pocketing a can of beans.

Lee smiled, glad to have broken some ice. “So, what do you do when the dead aren’t walking around?”

“I’m a commercial fisherman. Catchin’ mackerel, dolphin, whatever’s bitin’, really.” Kenny explained.

“That could come in handy.” Lee nabbed an energy bar while he spoke. Clementine was probably hungry by now.

“Yeah, sure.” Kenny didn’t sound too confident. “You got a boat and a net lyin’ around?”

“Well, no…” Lee confessed, “But you never know.”

“If we ever make it back to Lauderdale, maybe.” Kenny nodded, finding a half-opened cereal box tipped on its side. He held it up to the flashlight, relieved that the bag inside was still good. “It’s a good backup plan. I don’t think those things can swim.”

“So, you’d just live out the rest of your days on a boat?” Lee asked, genuinely curious.

“It won’t be like that.” Kenny said. “The government’ll swoop in and fix things. It’s only a matter o’ time. The boat’s just in case that time is longer than…I don’t know…a few weeks?”

“If you’re sure.” Lee peeked over the counter. “Could you shine the light over here?”

“Sure thing.” Kenny followed Lee’s request. The flashlight revealed some spare cash strewn about, some disposed cigarette butts, and a massive stain of dried blood.

“Jesus…” Lee felt a sense of dread in his stomach.

“Aw, hell…” It was clear that Kenny felt much the same. “You see that?” He moved the flashlight ever-so-slightly, revealing a trail of dark red smeared on the floor, leading out from behind the counter and across the store. The two followed it, and didn’t have to look far before bumping into a door. Bathing it in light, the words “EMPLOYEES ONLY” adorned the front.

“Keep that light steady.” Lee instructed. “I’m gonna see if I can open this.”

“OK.” Kenny agreed. “I got yer back.”

Satisfied, Lee drew his hammer and approached the door. He slowly put his ear up to it. He heard nothing. He lightly knocked on it, hoping to provoke a response. He got nothing. He grasped the knob and twisted. It was unlocked. Lee opened the door, signaling for Kenny to move closer.

Inside, the trail of blood continued between two lines of shelves. Much like the rest of the store, they were empty, save for a few remaining items. Lee would have time to scour them later. Right now, they had to find the end of the trail. Luckily, they didn’t have far to go.

Rounding a corner, Lee followed the trail to another door marked “MEN.” The bathroom, of course. Repeating his procedure from the first door, Lee snuck inside. The bathroom was even more pitch-black than the rest of the place. Kenny shined his light along the blood trail, and it led to the other side of the room, where a first-aid kit lay opened on the wall, and on the floor was a pool of blood, but with no body to be seen.

“Kenny?” A familiar voice called out. It was Katjaa. “Lee? Are you alright?”

“Shit!” Kenny shouted. He dashed out of the room, taking the flashlight with him.

“Kenny, wait!” Lee’s cries fell on deaf ears as he was left fumbling in the dark. He groaned as he stumbled out of the restroom and back into the low light of the storage room. Careful not to trip and fall, he listened to the conversation unfolding in the store.

“Kat, what the hell are you doing here!? I told ‘ya I’d be back!” Kenny sounded agitated.

“Well, you were taking a while and we were getting worried…” Katjaa explained.

“And I’m worried about YOU!” Kenny retorted. “At least if you stay at the truck, you can see one of those things coming. In here, we don’t know where they could be!”

Lee heard a distinct rustling noise coming from up ahead. Kenny and Katjaa were too caught up in their conversation to notice, evidently, as they kept talking throughout.

Peeking back into the store, Lee found the source of the noise: Duck had apparently found a free chip bag and was happily digging in. Lee shook his head, crossing his arms. “What the hell are you doing?” he asked.

“Eating!” Duck said, as if that wasn’t blatantly obvious. “They just left this stuff lying around!”

“I know that!” Lee was getting annoyed. Duck’s impromptu snack was making a lot of noise.

“Lee? Are you OK?” a much softer voice asked. It was Clementine. Lee was relieved that Katjaa hadn’t left her alone.

“Uh, yeah.” Lee reassured her.

“Oh. That’s good.” Clementine offered a small smile, and Lee smiled back. But her smile quickly faltered when she looked past him. He followed her gaze. She was looking at the public restroom. The door was shaking. Duck was completely oblivious.

“Duck!” Lee tried to send a warning but the doorknob had turned and the door swung open. With a loud BANG, the door hit the back wall, alerting the whole store to the presence of the shambling creature within. Clad in a bloodstained name-tagged vest, the rotting man made a beeline for Duck, groaning and dripping from the open wound in his chest.

Duck screamed, dropping his chip bag and falling to the floor in panic. Clementine ran for the exit. Kenny and Katjaa called out in panic.

Lee stepped forward, hammer at the ready. “Stay away from him, you freak!” he shouted. His declaration was enough to divert the corpse’s attention, and Lee took the opportunity to lead him away from the children. At Clementine’s house, Sandra took him by surprise. This time, he was ready. Taking care to stay just out of arm’s reach, Lee brought the hammer down on the creature’s head. It plunged into its’ forehead, getting stuck temporarily. Lee yanked at the hammer but it was jammed in there pretty good. The creature lunged forward, almost sinking its rotting teeth into Lee’s neck, but he let go of the hammer to push the corpse away. Left without a weapon, Lee stumbled backwards, using the nearby shelves for support.

“Get down!” Kenny shouted, and Lee obeyed. With a deafening BANG, the brains of the creature sprayed out of the back of its head and it fell to the ground, lifeless once again. Kenny lowered his gun, breathing heavily. The adrenaline fading from him, Lee sighed with relief. He looked to Kenny, who was offering his hand. Lee took it, and was pulled to his feet.

“You OK?” Kenny asked.

“Yeah, I’m alright.” Lee nodded. “That’s twice you saved my ass today.”

Despite himself, Kenny chuckled. “Well, you saved my boy.” He looked back, seeing Duck hugging his mother, clearly distressed. “I’d say that makes us even.”

Lee smiled, relieved that nobody was hurt. He turned to retrieve his bashing tool from the creature’s head before looking back. Kenny had bent down to Duck’s level, clearly giving him a stern talking-to before hugging him tightly. There was one thing missing, though.

“Clementine?” He called. He walked towards the entrance, remembering where she went when the corpse ambushed the group. “Clementine!?” She couldn’t be lost. She wouldn’t run that far, would she? She understood how dangerous it was on her own, right? “Katjaa, did you see where Clementine went!?” he asked.

“I-no…she just ran off.” Katjaa stammered, looking momentarily guilty.

“…Shit!” Lee ran to the nearby semi, looking into the driver’s seat and between the wheels. Clementine was nowhere to be found. He checked in every car in the parking lot, finding them just as barren. “No, no, no.” He muttered to himself all the while. He’d been in charge of this girl’s care for less than a day and he’d already lost her. What kind of man does that!?

“Lee?” Kenny called. “It’s alright. We found her.”

Lee spun around and a wave of relief like nothing he’d felt in a long time washed over him. Clementine had run all the way back to the truck. In hindsight, that should have been the first place he looked. Embarrassed, Lee made his way back to Clementine.

“Was that you yelling?” Clementine asked, her legs dangling out the side door.

“Yeah, it was.” Lee said. “You had me worried!”

“I’m sorry.” Clementine sounded very apologetic. “I was just scared.”

“I know.” Lee bent down on one knee, getting down to eye level with Clementine. “But you can’t go running off like that! What if one of those things got to you while you were alone?”

Clementine looked down at her feet again. “I don’t know.” She was starting to tear up.

Lee felt a little bad. “Look, it’s OK now.” He said, “This is just a…learning experience.”

Clementine sniffed. “OK.” She confirmed, “I won’t do it again.”

“If you do have to run away, stay somewhere I can see you, alright?” Lee asked.

“I can do that.” Clementine wiped her nose and nodded.

“Good.” Lee offered a smile, rising up to his full height once again.

“Looks like we ain’t refilling here.” Kenny declared. “Not unless you know anythin’ about gas siphoning.”

“That’s a little out of my area of expertise.” Lee said.

“Well, shit.” Kenny started the truck again. “If I’m right, we’ve got enough in the tank to get us to Macon. After that…I ain’t so sure.”

“It’ll have to be good enough.” Katjaa said. “Lee, didn’t you say you knew some people there.”

“Yeah.” Lee confirmed. “I grew up there.”

“Well, that’s somethin’.” Kenny said, climbing into the driver’s seat. “Buckle up. We’re headin’ out.”

Lee and Clementine followed the instructions, as did Duck. Lee looked at the boy. He just stared forward at the back of the passenger seat, not really reacting to anything happening around him. Clementine seemed to have noticed it, too. She looked worried, but did nothing to try and interact with him. She just stared at the floor, as she was accustomed to doing.

Lee looked at the approaching road. He could see the silhouette of Macon against the barely-there sunset. He was going home. He could only hope it would be a welcome return…

**Author's Note:**

> The Walking Dead and all related characters and properties are owned by Skybound Entertainment LLC. 
> 
> This is a transformative piece of fiction with no ties to the copyright holder whatsoever.


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